


Logan's Method

by dodosindamnation



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: excuse me, it's just me trying to work out how to format on here, so like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-30 03:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20808026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dodosindamnation/pseuds/dodosindamnation
Summary: Virgil loves his fami- his friends. But sometimes, they were just... too much, and he hides.Then, he finds comfort... in a rather surprising package.





	Logan's Method

**Author's Note:**

> so uhhh like i said in the tags, this is just me trying to work out how ao3 works. why not use some sweet analogical to do it?

Virgil was having a bad day.

Or, a worse day than usual.

He didn't know what had set him off: Thomas was doing fine, and all of the other Sides seemed great, too. But he was stressed, and anxious, and he didn't want to talk to anyone or deal with anyone. He didn't want to deal with Roman's loud voice and egotistical manner. He didn't want to deal with Logan's matter-of-factness.

He didn't want to deal with Patton's pity.

He didn't want to worry him, either. Patton had had a rough few days, what with Thomas moving away from his three-year house a few months ago, and he didn't want to add to that.

He'd considered that maybe the move was what caused his freak out, but dismissed the thought. He wasn't afraid of that. Thomas and Logan and Roman had handled it incredibly well, coming up with seamless solutions to every outcome Virgil threw at them in his twisted attempt to help.

Therefore, he still had no clue what was wrong.

So he shut himself up in his bedroom, and turned off all the lights and balled himself up in blankets and his hoodie and the Christmas sweater and put on his headphones and played his music, loudly.

Virgil lost track of how long he stayed in his room. He just sort of slipped into a music coma and seemed to time travel.

But, after the unknown amount of time, he was dragged out of his music coma by the extremely unwelcome crack of light that brightened up his room when the door was opened.

He tore off his headphones and looked at the intruder.

Logan stepped inside, and Virgil groaned inwardly. He was going to snap at him. He was too high-strung for this right now, nowhere near ready for Logan's endless stream of factual commentary.

"Virgil? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

"I'm fine," Virgil answered. He laid back down and covered his head with the quilt, but Logan didn't leave.

"Virgil... it's four P.M.. Patton wanted to come up to check on you, but we decided that I was probably a more suitable option if you are feeling... anxious, about anything-"

"I’m not, Logan!" Virgil snapped. "I'm fine!"

There was a pause. Then, "Virgil, getting angry with me isn't going to make me leave. In fact, it heightens my concern for you."

Virgil sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine. You win. I'm not feeling that great today. Happy now?"

There was a moment's pause, then the door clicked shut. Virgil groaned. The guilt at snapping at the other Side, who was obviously only trying to help, crashed into him like a tidal wave.

He curled up further into himself. Logan would hate him now. And he'd go back downstairs and tell Roman and Patton about how he was a jerk and how mean he was and then Roman would just go right back to before, destroy everything they'd worked so hard to make, and hate him again, and Patton would hate him, too. He couldn't stand the thought of them all hating him. Not again.

Suddenly, the bed sank down near Virgil's drawn up knees.

He pulled the blanket down a little to peek into the room.

Logan was sat on the bed, looking down at him.

He didn't look angry. Just... vaguely concerned. And curious. "Virgil, what's wrong?"

Virgil sighed and burrowed back into the blanket. It wasn't an angry sigh, just a tired one. "I dunno, Logan," he said quietly. "I just... sometimes I don't feel great. Sometimes I just get anxious about nothing. Thomas is fine. You're all fine. So why aren't I?"

Logan didn't answer for a moment, and Virgil could practically hear the gears turning in his head. "I don't know, Virgil. But, the fact that you're anxious in general, that's not bad," he finally replied.

Virgil pulled himself out of the blanket again, frowning at Logan through his bangs. "What? Of course it is. It's not normal."

Logan frowned now. "So? Virgil, we aren't exactly what you'd consider to be normal."

The thought of his entire being being a freak made him even more scared. He bent himself even further and screwed his eyes shut, suddenly feeling sick.

Logan seemed to notice. "Did you know that there are thousands of planets in the universe?" he said.

Virgil looked at him. "What?" he whispered, the nerves suddenly making his voice hoarse.

Logan nodded, all concern leaving his face and being replaced by an excited wonder that Virgil rarely saw. 

"Yes. In our one solar system, we have nine planets-"

"Eight," Virgil interrupted.

A sharp inhale from Logan, and a flash of anger just as rare. "No. Nine," he said quietly, his voice firm. "Viva la Pluto, Virgil."

Virgil shrank back into the blankets and decided to just ignore Logan. This was ridiculous. It would just make him worse. The thought of a universe that big, that unpredictable. Thousands of planets that had never even been seen by Earth. God only knew what they held. What kinds of creatures. What sorts of things that would try to kill him. And if he tried to participate in the conversation, he'd make Logan angry again, just like he just did.

"But, it's impossible for anything from those planets to... come to us," Logan said, his voice softer again, sensing Virgil's panic. "There are sorts of barriers between solar systems, which would make it near-impossible for anything to pass from there to here, and vice versa."

Virgil tried to block him out. But, he seemed... calmer now. Maybe it was just having company, because the space rubbish certainly wasn't helping. He hoped Logan would give up soon.

The logical Side didn't. Instead, he went on for ages. He just rambled, barely even breathing between. He spoke about everything: the Big Bang, supernovas, even the weather on Jupiter.

He just blurted out everything he knew about the universe beyond their atmosphere. But his voice never rose in volume, not like Roman's did when he got excited. It didn't get higher in pitch, either, like Patton's.

It wasn't monotonous, exactly, just... matter-of-fact. _Huh..._

When Logan had finished, finally running out of facts, Virgil realised that he actually felt fine. The nerves had disappeared, all of the nausea and butterflies were gone.

He sat up and frowned at Logan. "What was that?" His was glad to hear that his voice was back to normal now.

Logan took a deep breath and studied Virgil, a tinge of concern furrowing his brow. "Did it help?"

Virgil started to say, "Obviously not!" but then, he realised properly that it actually had, and quite well. So, he just nodded slowly.

Logan's face cleared. "Brilliant. I've done... a certain amount of research on anxiety. And I learned that, among other, more... emotional tactics, one method of calming it is to simply speak to the sufferer. To just speak endlessly, and consistently. I wasn't sure if it would work, of course, but as I don't tend to indulge in hugging and/or comforting in the traditional sense, it is easier for me to participate in. As both Roman and Patton seemed to have succeeded in helping you, I would have liked to have done so, too. I am pleased to know that I succeeded."

Virgil nodded, still a bit confused. He'd never have guessed that it would be so efficient. Sure, Patton was brilliant at helping Virgil, but sometimes he could be a bit... overwhelming. He would smother Virgil in hugs and loves and blankets and comfort, and while that was spectacular most of the time, but… sometimes it could just be too much.

Roman could help too, simply by sitting with Virgil in silence and watching a movie. But sometimes Virgil could get lost in thought during this.

But Logan had somehow found the exact centre. The perfect middle.

He shot his friend a small smile. "Thanks, Lo. That... that was surprisingly effective."

Logan's mouth quirked up in a proud smirk. "I'm glad to have helped, Virgil. But it seems I've been in here for awhile now. I'll take my leave."

Virgil nodded silently. He watched as Logan walked to the door, and as he stopped.

"Please, come down when you're ready. It has been strangely... unsettling, in the dining room without you. Patton has been rather worried. But I'll be sure to tell him that you're... okay."

Virgil couldn't even think of a reply. It was... weird without him. _They_ were weird without him.

He felt a burst of pride in his stomach, and attempted to smother the grin rising, but Logan caught it, and smiled.

"Tell us when you're feeling like this again, Virgil. We do want to help you."

Virgil nodded. "I will. I'm sorry for not today. And for yelling at you."

"You didn't yell. And even if you had, I wouldn't hold it against you. Roman yells at me all of the time, and I haven't yet held it against him. I shan't begin at you."

Virgil nodded, and Logan left.

They felt weird without him.

That was all he needed.

He stood up, and followed Logan out to the dining room, and was met by grins from his friends.

No, not his friends.

His family.


End file.
